Highly crystalline alpha-1,3-glucan
AssigneeNutrition & Biosciences USA 4, Inc.
InventorsKyle Hyun Chang Kim, Yefim Brun, Lucia Daniela Ionescu, Juan David Londono, Jorge Mok, James Joshua Ohane, Lemuel Tong
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are compositions comprising insoluble alpha-glucan particles having a high degree of crystallinity and small particle size. For example, the alpha-glucan particles can have a degree of crystallinity of at least about 0.65, and/or an average size of less than a micron. At least 50% of the glycosidic linkages of the insoluble alpha-glucan in the disclosed particles are alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages. Further disclosed are methods of producing insoluble alpha-glucan particles, as well as their use in various applications and products.
Claims14
A method of producing insoluble alpha-glucan particles, said method comprising:
- (a) providing insoluble alpha-glucan as produced in an enzymatic reaction comprising at least water, sucrose and a glucosyltransferase enzyme that synthesizes the insoluble alpha-glucan, wherein the insoluble alpha-glucan has a weight-average degree of polymerization (DPw) of at least about 200 and at least 50% of the glycosidic linkages of the insoluble alpha-glucan are alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages;
- and
- (b) hydrolyzing the insoluble alpha-glucan to insoluble alpha-glucan particles, wherein said hydrolyzing is performed under aqueous conditions at a pH of 2.0 or less;
- wherein the insoluble alpha-glucan particles produced in step (b) have a degree of crystallinity of at least about 0.65 and a DPw of at least 15, and at least 50% of the glycosidic linkages of the insoluble alpha-glucan particles are alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.